Trail to Eagle

This booklet is designed to help Life Scouts make the big jump from Life to Eagle. The original idea for it came from Troop 641 BSA of Aurora, Colorado. The booklet is one of those "why didn't I think of that" ideas that we were glad to receive permission to use and modify to fit our troop program.

Who to Call?

[See the actual booklet for the phone numbers of the Scoutmaster, Troop Eagle Service Project Coordinator, Troop Eagle Board of Review Chairman, District Eagle Chairman, and the Council Scout Service Center.]

Some Eagle Statistics

(this occupies the inside front cover)
Roughly one boy in every 172 earns Eagle (0.6%). Yet over 15% of all US astronauts are Eagle Scouts. So are 10% of the cadets at both West Point and the Air Force Academy.

"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles." --- Isaiah 40:31

"Now I see the secret of making the best persons, it is to grow in the open air and to eat and sleep with the earth." ---Walt Whitman

Eagle Scout is the most significant honor a boy can earn, in or out of Scouting. It marks him for life! An Eagle is an achiever who will always do great things. An Eagle is a leader who will always be ahead of the group. Society will always expect much from an Eagle, and he will deliver.

He soars high for all to see. His vision is clear and sharp. His bearing is majestic. His direction is certain and his flight swift and sure. Such is the eagle, our nation's symbol. Such is the Eagle, our nation's future.

Eagle Scouts who enlist in the US Air Force start out one rank higher than others who enlist (and with about $100 more pay each month).

The Trail to Eagle........<return to top of page>

The trail to Eagle Scout requires tremendous commitment to stay on a long and sometime rough path. As a Life Scout, you are just one step away from youth's most significant accomplishment and honor. But that's a big step, and only 56% of our Life Scouts complete Eagle.

Happily, the choice is yours. And you probably have actively involved parents (few Scouts make it to Life, let alone Eagle, without this support).

You can advance at whatever rate you want, but remember that all Eagle requirements except the Board of Review must be finished before your 18th birthday.

You are close to the top of a high mountain climbed by fewer than one out of every 172 boys, and less than 3% of all Scouts (and only 15% of Troop 97 Scouts).

Eagle Scouts are valued in our society, because they have proven that they can achieve a long-term goal despite many obstacles. This will help on college admission and on job applications.

This pamphlet will provide you and your parents with key information to help you make the final steps to Eagle.

The Paper Trail........<return to top of page>

The trail to Eagle is rugged, but the part most people put off until last is one of the easier sections of the trail.

You can make your last few steps to Eagle go smoother if you do a little homework along the way. This is the Paper Trail. Collect, write, and keep the following records up to date--

Date you earned each merit badge (12 Eagle badges and 9 other badges). If you don't have complete records, the Scoutmaster has these dates.
Dates you held all leadership positions since earning Life (write in your Scout Handbook).
Eagle Service Project Workbook (get from troop Board of Review and make sure you fill it in and get all the needed signatures--verify with the District Eagle Chairman that you have the latest edition, since these seem to change often).
Eagle Project Report
Eagle Scout Application
Letter of Recommendation form to give each letter writer
Letters of Recommendation
(see information on these last four items elsewhere in this booklet)

Eagle Scout Service Project........<return to top of page>

The Eagle Scout service project is different from other service projects you have done because you are now the leader. The Eagle project must meet three criteria--

It must be of significant value to the community outside of Scouting (town, church, school, etc.).
It must take considerably more time than a Star or Life project (though planning and preparation time count).
You must provide leadership to others during the project (the project idea does not have to be original, but you must be in charge; and two people cannot lead the same project).

So here's what you need to do to successfully complete the Eagle Scout Service Project--

Get the Eagle Service Project Workbook from the Board of Review.
Come up with a workable idea. This is the hardest part! Talk to the Scoutmaster and the Board of Review for help. Talk to local agencies that serve the needy, or that provide services to the elderly.
Write up a preliminary plan, showing what you will do, who it will benefit, materials needed, costs, number of people involved, etc (see Eagle Service Project Workbook).
Present your preliminary plan to the Board of Review. They will help you develop your plan into an achievable project.
Write up your plan and present it to the District Eagle Chairman. Set up an appointment at his office by yourself. Don't forget the Eagle Service Project Workbook.
Get necessary donations of material. Get volunteers. Do the project. If an overnight or out-of-town trip is required, you'll need to file a BSA Local Tour Permit (get from the Scoutmaster). You and your parents are responsible to provide necessary support for the project (transportation, snacks, meals, etc.).
Keep a detailed time log of every hour you spend planning, phoning, coordinating, executing, etc. This will be useful at the Board of Review.
Take photos of the project!!! This will show the Eagle Board of Review what you have done better than words.
Throughout the process, make sure you keep the Eagle Service Project Workbook up to date, and make sure all signatures are there.
Write up a brief (half page) summary of the project to include with your Eagle application (for application requirement 5).

Scoutmaster Conference........<return to top of page>

After you have completed all merit badges, fulfilled the minimum six months as a leader, and completed your Eagle Scout service project, phone the Scoutmaster to arrange a Scoutmaster Conference. Only the Scoutmaster does Eagle conferences.

Eagle Scout Application........<return to top of page>

Get an Eagle Scout application from the Board of Review Chairman. Make a photocopy to do your work on, and do not fill out the final application until after the Scoutmaster Conference.

The Scoutmaster will help you fill out the application at the Scoutmaster Conference.

You'll need the dates for every merit badge (the Scoutmaster can provide these if your records come up short).

You will need the names of those you want to write letters of recommendation for you (see next column).

The Scoutmaster will help you on application requirement 6 (ambitions/life purpose, positions of leadership and honors & awards).

After the Scoutmaster Conference, fill out the final application, sign it, and take it to the Committee Chairman and Scoutmaster for their signatures. The Scoutmaster (or you) will then mail the application to the Longs Peak Council office in Greeley, where they will check all information and dates. If everything is OK, they will send the form back to the District Eagle Chairman. If anything is not OK, they will send it back to the Scoutmaster for correction.

Phone the Council office after about a week to verify if your application has been sent to the District Eagle Chairman. When it has, phone the troop Board of Review Chairman to alert him to set up your Eagle Board of Review.

Letters of Recommendation........<return to top of page>

The Eagle Board of Review will want five or six letters of recommendation for you. You need to select the recommenders, give them the letter of recommendation form (get this from the Board of Review), and give them a firm deadline to return the letters (about a week after the Scoutmaster Conference would be good). Either have them send the letters directly to our troop Eagle Board of Review Chairman, or collect them yourself in sealed envelopes and give them to him.

The letters should show how you have lived like an Eagle Scout in all phases of your life (home, school, church, etc). You will need recommendations from--

Eagle Board of Review........<return to top of page>

After all requirements are complete, after the Scoutmaster Conference, after you have completed the paperwork, and after the Longs Peak Council has approved the application, you should call the troop Eagle Board of Review Chairman to inform him. He will arrange the date and place for the Eagle Board of Review, in consultation with the District Eagle Chairman, our troop Board members, and you.

The Eagle Board of Review will include two or three troop review members familiar to you, and it will include one or more district Review members. The District Eagle Chairman will chair the review.

The Board will ask you about your project, leadership, and how becoming an Eagle affects and changes you. This is typically the easiest review you will have (though you should make sure to review the Scout Law and Promise). The Board members will enjoy seeing the fruits of several years of Scouting in you. The Eagle Board of Review is not so much a test as it is a celebration of the completion of your long, challenging, and successful journey toward Eagle.

Eagle Court of Honor........<return to top of page>

The Eagle Court of Honor is special, and it is separate from our regular Courts of Honor. The Eagle and his family are responsible for all aspects of the ceremony--

Planning--The Scoutmaster has information about ceremonies, but there is no set way an Eagle Court of Honor must be (the inside back cover has a "typical" program, but actual program is totally up to you). The Scoutmaster normally will bring the troop flags & stands, Law/Promise candle stands, troop Eagle plaque, the Eagle presentation kit, and Eagle neckerchief. Most ceremonies have a reception afterward with a cake and punch, though some get much more elaborate.
Date/Time/Place--The Eagle and his family select a date and time, in consultation with the Scoutmaster and troop calendar. If you give the Scoutmaster enough notice, he can get the information into the troop newsletter. The ceremony can occur at our regular meeting place (or in the sanctuary or small chapel), or you can choose to have it at your church, home, yard, or other appropriate place.
Cost--The Eagle's family is responsible for any costs of the ceremony, including refreshments. The troop provides the Eagle presentation kit and neckerchief.
Participants--You determine who will be the color guard, speakers, etc, and you are responsible to invite them and make sure they will be there. The most important guest is the one you select to "charge" the Eagle with his responsibilities as an Eagle Scout. He/she should be a person of importance in the Eagle's life. You also need to choose who will pin on the Eagle badge (often but not always a parent).
Invitations/Programs--You can purchase special Eagle invitations from the Longs Peak Council office or make your own, and have them engraved or photocopied. The Scoutmaster can provide mailing labels for all troop members, if desired. You can also buy program covers for the program, which can be photocopied on the covers. The program typically also has biographical information about the Eagle, list of accomplishments, awards, etc.

Typical Eagle Court of Honor Program........<return to top of page>

This is a simple and fairly typical program. You can get more elaborate, add music or a special touch unique to the Eagle. You may design the ceremony any way you wish, and you do not have to follow this program. At some point, the troop always presents the Eagle with a plaque from the troop ("Special Presentation"). And there are several items the Eagle receives (card, certificate, etc) that can be presented by brothers & sisters or other family members if desired.

It's nice to have a printed program (your responsibility). Print the date/location/title on the front cover, with biographical information and the program inside. You could also include a summary of the Eagle service project, poem, interesting statistics, etc.

It is always interesting to have photos and other Scouting memorabilia on display.

Eagle Scout Court of Honor........<return to top of page>

for William E. Trooper

Opening Ceremony--Panther Patrol
Invocation--Pastor John Smith
Presentation of the Eagle--John Jones
Invitation to Other Eagles--John Jones
The Eagle, A Brief Biography with Some Amusing (or at least embarrassing) Anecdotes--John Anderson
The Eagle Scout Charge--John Johnson
Presentation of the Eagle Badge--John & Jane Trooper
Mother's Pin & Father's Tie Tac--Bill Trooper
Eagle Neckerchief--John Jones
Eagle Certificate--Julie Trooper
Special Presentation--the Scoutmaster
The Eagle's Response--Bill Trooper
Benediction--Pastor John Smith
Closing Ceremony--Panther Patrol

And now, may the Great Master of all Scouts be with us 'till we meet again, and may all trails lead to Him. ---Scoutmaster's Benediction

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